Autograph postcard from Ambrose Bierce in Carmel, CA, signed, "A.B." It is addressed to Miss Blanche Partington, of San Francisco. The postal stamp date is Apr 18, 1910. The postcard reads: "Dear Blanche, Please don't think, from the other side of this card, that I'm 'seeing snakes.' On the contrary, I'm in better health. You?" The color photographic image on the postcard is of a tree, titled "Live Oak Tree, Largest in the World, Near Monterey, California."
The lot also includes a compliments card printed with "With the compliments of" and the autograph in pencil, Ambrose Beirce.
Ambrose Bierce (1842-c.1913) was an American writer best known for his vivid short stories (including the classic "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge") and his satirical "The Devil's Dictionary." At 72 in late December of 1913, while allegedly seeking to join Pancho Villa's troops during the Mexican Revolution, Bierce disappeared; his ultimate fate remains a mystery. The recipient of the postcard, Blanche Partington, was a prominent San Francisco journalist and member of the San Francisco Bay Area literary and cultural scene. She is particularly noted for her relationships with prominent California writers, including Ambrose Bierce, Jack London, and Yone Noguchi. Partington was the last to receive a letter from Ambrose Bierce before his mysterious disappearance in Mexico after December 26, 1913.